Outrage and disgust seem to go hand in hand. We get outraged about something and it often leads to disgust in the person or group that we view responsible for whatever caused our outrage. Similarly, we’ll find ourselves disgusted with someone or some group and it fuels outrage within us. It’s a vicious cycle as the two play off one another. The problem with holding disgust towards someone (disgust, contempt, derision, bitterness — fill in your adjective here) is that it halts all engagement with them. Holding on to it reveals that we view our sin to be less than the sin of someone else. We mustn’t minimize our own sin and deceive ourselves, but remember that we too are sinners saved entirely by grace. This enables us to speak the truth in love, with humility and empathy—but harboring disgust toward others blocks our ability to love. The reality is that under whatever it is that might disgust us about someone else, there is a person who bears God’s image. A person who is longing to be loved like we are loved in Jesus Christ. Will you choose to love like Jesus?
This series is inspired by and borrows from the 2018 book from Dr. Ed Stetzer, "Christians in the Age of Outrage". As we face the 2020 election while also finding our way through COVID, this series will explore how, as followers of Jesus, we can bring our best to a world at its worst.
